Improvement in stock-shed and rack



initrd 53mm @wat @Wire Lette/rs Patent No. 92,742, dated July 20, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN STOCK-SHED AND RACK.

The Schedule referred to lx1-these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, T. BRoD. MYERS, of Palatine, in the county of Marion, and State of West Virginia, have invented a new and improved Stock-Shed and Rack; and I do hereby declarel that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same,- reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l represents a vertical transverse section of my improved stock-shed and rack.

Figure 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the same.

Similar letters of reference ,indicate corresponding parts.

v This invention relates to a new sheep-shed and rack, which is so constructed that the roof can bereadily swung up to protect the animals from the inclemency of the weather, while it can as readily be thrown into a vertical position, to keep the animals away from the rack, while the same is being lled with hay. The roof can also be entirely removed during fine weather.

rIhe invention consists, first,in the arrangement of a jointed roof, of which each side consists of two leaves, one of them forming a vertical wall when the roof is put up, and in connecting the wall on one side ot' the roof by means of strings or cords, with the upper part of the other side of the roof, so that when the roof-leaves are swung into vertical positions, the walls will be drawnup into nearlyvertical positions, to clear the troughs and the ground.

The invention also consists in mounting the head of the rack on runners, by means of inclined braces, so that the troughs can be conveniently` applied, and the walls swung np, without interfering with the fastening-devices of the runners.

A, in the drawing', represents the head of. my improved sheep-rack. It is, by means of diverging-bars a a, supported on sled-runners B B, and may be provided with a tongueor pole C, to be readily conveyed by horses or oxen from one place-to another.

On the head A are fastened the inclined slide-bars b of the rack, which are on their upper ends connected by longitudinal horizontal bars D, that are braced by transverse bars c, as shown. 4

The troughs E E are about as long as the head, and have hooks l l at their inner sides, and staples e e at their lower sides. The hooks d are tted into staples f f, formed on the sides of the head, while the staples@ are placed upon pins g, that project from the stays or supports a of the head, as is clearly shown in tig. 2.

By means of these double 4fastenings, the troughs are held in proper position.- NVhen they are to be emptied, they are moved longitudinally until the hooks l become disengaged from the staples f, while the pins g still remain in the staples e, and they will then swing on the pins g, and dumped, as shown on the left-hund side of fig. l.

The pins g should be so much longer than the hooks windlass, I, arrangedin one end of the head.

al, that they will retain the troughs when the hooks (l are disengaged, as set forth.

The rounded ends of the upper rack-bars D t into apertures of' thev roof-rafters F, to allow the same to swing on said bars D. The rafters are in pairs, rmly secured to the under sides of the roof-plates G, as shown.

To the lower ends of the rafters are pivoted the upper ends of the ribs h h, that are secured to the inner sides of plates or boards H, as shown.` To the upper end of each rafter is secured a string or cord, fl,

which passes over a pulley, j, or its equivalent, on the upper part of the Vopposite rafter, and thence to a Byturning the windl'ass to wind the cords fi, the upper ,ends of the roof-plates will be drawn together, and a perfect roof will be formed over the rack, as shown by black lines in fig. 1, while the plates H will be suspended to form vertical walls, as shown. Under this protecting cover the animals can be fed without being exposed to the inclemency of the weather.

The upper ends of the rafters may in this position be connected'by pins, as shown;

Cords l l reach from the upper part of each roofplate or rafter-to the lower part of the opposite plate H.

When the roofs are to be swung to the sides, the pins ltmare removed, and the wiudlass is unwound to slacken the cords i, whereby the roof-plates will be caused to drop into the vertical position which is indicated by red lines in g. 1.

The upper ends of the roof-plates being then apart, will, by the cords z, draw up the plates H, preventing them from working on the ground, and clearing the troughs.

When the roof` is in position over the rack, the lower ends of the cords z. can be disconnected, as

' shown.

ters Patent, is

1. The combination of the pivoted roof-platesG G with the wall-plates H H, cords fl and l, all arranged and operating as described, to be adjusted as specied.

2. 'Ihe sheep-rack, supported on a head, A, which is', by means of inclined bars. a a, connected with the runners B B, as described, and whichl carries the troughs E, as specified, all made and operating sub- T. BROD. MYERS.

stantially as set forth.

Witnesses:

NEWTON B. Jones, W. H. SAMsEn. 

